Composition of matter.



NlTED 'TATES EDWARD P. SMITH, OF OHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OFTWO- THIRDS TO MARK L. MORRISON AND GEORGE SOHINDLER, OF OHATTA- NOOGA,TENNESSEE.

COMPOSITION OF MATTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,776, dated April28, 1903.

Application filed July 2, 1902. Serial No. 114,159. (No specimens.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, EDWARD P. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State ofTennessee, (whose post-office address is Chattanooga, Hamilton county,Tennessee,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aComposition of Matter, of which the following is a specification.

no My invention relates to a new substance designed particularly as asubstitute for cork and oorkwood in all the uses to which the latter maybe put. This substance is the equal in all respects of cork andcorkwood, but it is superior in that it may be employed, owing to itscheapness, in many articles of manufacture wherein the cork itself wouldnot serve or would be too expensive for commercial use.

The cheapness of this composition compared to cork and corkwood willproduce the natural result of its competing in all lines in which corkenters as a factor. Bottle-stoppers, boots and shoes, &c., are merelyinstances of the wide and well-known uses of cork and corkwood, andconsequently hint at the wide range of utility of this novel substitutefor the same which I have invented.

The composition in general is a result of 0 treating wood-pulp or otherligneous substances with certain elements. The success, however, of mycomposition is due to the proper mixing and manipulation of the particular elements constituting the same, which 3 5 elements are wood-pulp,cornstaIk-pith, gelatin, glycerin, and formaldehyde.

portions, by volume, in which these elements are combined and from whichare gained the most satisfactory results are as follows: three parts ofwood-pulp, one part of cornstalkpith, a solution of one part gelatin,one of glycerin, and four of water, and a solution of formaldehyde inwater, one part to five.

The method of producing my composition from the above ingredientscomprises the following steps: After thoroughly disintegrating theligneous substances to be used and while the same are in a moist Warmcondition they are mixed with the solution of gelatin,

5o glycerin, and water above described. At this The prostage the wholemass is thoroughly stirred,

so as to obtain as perfectly commingled and homogeneous a mixture aspossible. While the'product of the last-named step is still warm, thesuperfluous xcess moistureis extracted in any well-known manner, and thesubstance is then, as the last step in this process, allowed tocoagulate with the above-described solution of formaldehyde. Theformaldehyde'also renders the product insoluble to most liquids. It isin this last step that great care has to be exercised to secure thesuccessful production of my composition; but upon the completion of thisstep the substance is subjected to pressure while con gealing either byimmediate molding into the form desired or may be pressed into mass tobe afterward made up into a finished product composed of my novelsubstitute for cork and corkwood. Y

The foregoing is a description of my product and the method of producingthe same but I do not wish to be narrowly limited to the ingredients andproportions set forth, as slight changes, may be introduced in bothWithout materially affecting the nature of my substance.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A composition of matter consisting of 8o wood-pulp, cornstalk-pith,gelatin, glycerin, and formaldehyde, substantially as described.

2. A composition of matter consisting of ligneous substances gelatin,glycerin, and formaldehyde, substantially as set forth.

3. As a substitute for cork and corkwood,

a composition of matter comprising the elements set forth in theproportions herein'described, three parts of wood-pulp, one part ofcornstalk-pith, a solutionof one part gela- 9o tin, one of glycerin andfour of water, and a solution of formaldehyde in water, one part tofive, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD P. SMITH.

Witnesses:

M. H. DOUGHTY, MILTON RUssnLL.

